From Bladud's Fountains: The Death and Funeral of the Reverend Edmund Nelson by Michael Nash
Marine and Cannon Books, Hoylake, 2011, £15 (pb)
58 pages, with 9 black-and-white illustrations
No ISBN
Nelson's father Edmund was rector of Burnham Thorpe church for 46 years, before having to retire in 1801 due to ill health. He removed briefly to Bath where he died the following year. He was buried at Burnham Thorpe, but his son did not attend the funeral. Through a series of letters, Nash traces the story of the last days of Edmund Nelson and explores the reasons for Horatio's non-attendance – he was unwell, his father died on Emma Hamilton's birthday and she was insecure about Nelson meeting his wife at the funeral. Although beautifully produced in a limited edition, this is a very slight volume, and other than avid collectors of Nelson minutiae, readers may wish to invest their £15 elsewhere.
Dictionary of British Naval Battles by John D. Grainger
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2012, £95 (hb)
588 pages, with 8 maps, index
ISBN 978-1-84383-704-6
This an extremely useful reference for all the naval battles and engagements, both large and small, fought at sea by British fleets and ships from Anglo Saxon times through to the present day. Each entry gives a brief description of the action, the ships involved, dates, locations and the reference material used. A very brief introduction explains the methodology used in the creation of the dictionary and discusses the complexity of defining the basic concepts of ‘British’, ‘Naval’ and ‘Battles’. Entries are listed under the name of the ships taking part in the action, the geographical location or the common name for the battle. An extensive index also makes it easy to locate the many vessels and individuals involved. Sadly the high price will limit the potential readership for this excellent work.
Auf dem Weg zum ‘Deutschen Chronometer’ by Günther Oestmann
Verlag H. M. Hauschild, Berlin, 2012, €58 (hb) 500 pages, with 148 black-and-white illustrations, bibliography, English summary
ISBN 978-3-98757-522-6
This book is a labour of love by a former watchmaker and mathematician. It examines the development and use of chronometers in the German naval and merchant services through to the beginning of the Second World War. During the nineteenth century Britain dominated the production of nautical instruments and chronometers, but after German unification in 1871 there was a conscious effort to establish an independent German chronometer manufacturing industry. This book traces the history of chronometer makers and their scientific developments and provides a taxonomy of the German chronometer, with vast lists of serial numbers and other data.